It is Time to be Irritated by One Another by Kim Checkeye

This morning as I was spending my alone time with the Lord, I was reading Hebrews 10:19-25.

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the day approaching.”

As I read this I thought how strange it was that God put that part about spurring one another on right there in the middle of this passage. Why would God do that?

I love how this scripture takes us from one step to another and how each verse supports the one before it and after it. It tells us that we can have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place because of the blood that Christ shed for us. It continues to develop as it teaches us that Christ was the new and living way because of His body and how He is the great priest who is over the house of God. It assures us that we can draw near to God with a sincere heart that is so full of assurance of faith that our hearts can be sprinkled clean from a guilty conscience and we can be washed with pure water.

Oh how I hold this so close to my heart. I know the girl I use to be so full of myself and my own desires. A young woman so full of the flesh and instant gratification. A girl so full of worldly things and expectations.

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Why would God put this in the midst of these verses? Well, I can only share with you what He laid on my heart.

As I researched the word “spur”, I went back to the original Greek text which is paroxusmos. This word translates to the following:

Contention
Sharp
Provoke
Inciting
Incitement
Irritation

So as Christians, we are to irritate one another? That one sure made me laugh and gave me a good chuckle this morning.

You see, we are to provoke one another, spur one another, irritate one another, and sharpen one another toward love and good deeds. It is all above loving one another so much that we sharpen one another to not stay the way we are but to push one another to grow in love and good deeds.

I am blessed with working with Christian women every day of my life. It is a joy that I can’t put into words. But I have two ladies in my life that this scripture is so true! One has become a mentor for me in the ministry and helping me grow to learn the areas of a non-profit. The other, is my right hand lady who I work with side by side. Each very different from one another and at times they are on two ends of the spectrum!!! Yet these women bring to life this scripture. They are the exact definition and meaning of this verse!

We provoke one another toward love and good deeds. We push one another to be more like Jesus. We sharpen one another to focus on the goal that Christ has set before us and not get distracted by the little things in life. We irritate the daylights out of each other at times!!!

Oh but can I tell you what a joy it is to have true Christian support like this. It is how the body of Christ was called to work and live with one another.

Are there days when it hurts? Sure! But that’s when we lovingly look at one another and say “Pull your big girl panties up and deal with it my sister.”

God is so faithful and He will do what He said He would. He promised us a Savior and He gave us His one and only Son. God loved the world so much that He sent us His Son to be born so that one day He could die a gruesome death for the world!

But God also has given us one another to sharpen each other so we can be transformed and changed more into the image of Christ. Instead of running away from those who challenge you into greatness, what about running to them with open arms to say let’s do this together?

Christmas is only a few days away and I challenge you to not get caught up in what the world has created this Holiday to be but to focus on the true meaning of Christmas. I challenge you to focus on the birth of Christ our Savior. I challenge you as you come together with family and friends to be that light shining for Jesus. I challenge you to find other Christians who love you enough to want to spur you on to greatness! I challenge you to proclaim from the rooftops with boldness that Christ is and how He is the one and only true Savior of this world.

Tis the Season to Boldy Proclaim Christ - by Kim Checkeye

We are entering into a very busy time of the year as we get ready for the Christmas Season by spending time with family and friends, decorating with lights, trees, candles and so much more. I want to encourage you this season to let your light shine for Jesus more than ever before.

As you go about your day and people say to you “Happy Holidays”, boldly proclaim back “Merry Christmas to you.” I am going to let you in on a little secret of mine. Promise not to tell? This drives me crazy when people say Happy Holidays! After all, isn’t Christmas about the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?

The Roman pagans would celebrate Saturnalia from December 17-25. During this time the Roman authorities chose “an enemy of the Roman people” to represent the “Lord of Misrule.” Each Roman community selected a victim whom they forced to indulge in food and other physical pleasures throughout the week. At the end of this festival which was December 25th, the authorities believed they were destroying the forces of darkness by brutally murdering this innocent man or woman.

Christian leaders wanted to get to the pagans so they took over this holiday but it was no easy task. The Christian leaders announced that on the final day, December 25th, they would celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Over the years the struggle has always been the same, remembering why the Christians took over Christmas.

Christians took over this holiday in an attempt to bring the pagans before God Almighty. Christians took what was a time of self indulgence, self gratification and pagan rituals and attempted to turn it around to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Unfortunately, this struggle is still there. As Christians, we are bombarded by what the world has made Christmas to be.

I think it is time for us as Christians to stand up and fight for what this Holiday is all about. It is time to fight for our brothers and sisters who are still lost in sin and don’t know the truth. After all, wasn’t paganism about people wrapped up in sin? It is time for us to boldly proclaim that Jesus Christ is the one true living God, that He died for our iniquities and our transgressions and that we can have ever lasting life in Him.

I urge you that this Christmas as you go about your days, you are constantly reminding everyone around you why you celebrate this Holiday and what it means to you. I urge you to press into your relationship with Christ more than ever before. I urge you to study the Word and allow your heart to become a sponge so you can truly know who God is. His Word tells us that He is:

Jehovah-Shammah – The Lord my Companion
Elohim – The all powerful One Creator
YHWH – The one who is self existent one
El Roi - The God who sees me
Jehovah-Jireh- You will provide
Jehovah – Rapha – the Lord who heals
Adonai – The Lord. My Great Lord.
Jehovah-Rohi – The Lord is my shepherd.
Jehovah-Mekaddishkem – The Lord who sanctifies
Jehovah-Tsidkenu – The Lord Our Righteousness
Jehovah-Nissi – The Lord is my Banner
Jehovah-Rapha - The Lord who heals
Jehovah-Shalom-The Lord is my Peace
Jehovah-Sabaoth - The Lord of Hosts The Lord of Armies
El Olam - The eternal God. The everlasting God.
El Elyon - The God Most High
El Shaddai – The all sufficient One
Immanuel – God is with us. I AM.

This is the God we serve! This is God who gave His one and only son to be born. Jesus Christ came into this world to die. He was born so that one day, He would die for the sins of the world.

I urge you to fall on your face during this Holiday season and seek Him. I urge you to press into His loving arms and forget the things of this world. I urge you to be like the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5. She had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. This caused her to be weak and tired. It was debilitating to her in all areas of her life. The Bible tells us that she had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and she had spent all that she had. I can only imagine what this poor woman went through. She knew that her only hope was this Jesus that she had heard all about.

There was a large crowd following Jesus and they pressed in around him. This weak and tired woman knew that if she pressed in through the crowd and touched the hem of His garment, she would be healed. Can you picture it? I can. I can see the crowd pushing and trying to stop her from reaching Him. I can see as she gets a few steps closer someone pushes her all the back to where she started. Her mind is telling her to give up but her heart is telling her to fight even harder. She doesn’t give up until she reaches the Healer and touches His garment. At that very moment the bleeding stops and she is healed.

I urge you to push in to the things of God just like that woman did. You won’t be sorry. The Lord God will turn to you and say “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Merry CHRISTMAS and God bless you!